


Scars and Stories

by IntrovertedHappiness



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Backstory, Canon Compliant, Death, F/M, Fights, Love, Reunions, Scars, Second Chances, i dont think it needs the graphic violence tag but it's described briefly, idk how to tag, major character death is barry dying a lot during the 10 years alone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:08:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25186135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IntrovertedHappiness/pseuds/IntrovertedHappiness
Summary: There was a sort of relief that came with the ability to keep his scars. For one hundred years, Barry’s body had stayed absolutely the same. He had a few scars before the Starblaster journey, of course, including, but not limited to his top surgery scars and the one below his eye from a science accident. But having your body stay the same for one hundred years, flaws and all, was somewhat unsettling.But now...Barry scarred and it stuck.
Relationships: Barry Bluejeans/Lup
Comments: 4
Kudos: 29





	Scars and Stories

**Author's Note:**

> [This post was inspired by tumblr user umbraastaff's post](https://umbraastaff.tumblr.com/post/623134555912667136/hey-so-consider-what-if-barrys-magic-clone)

There was a sort of relief that came with the ability to keep his scars. For one hundred years, Barry’s body had stayed absolutely the same. He had a few scars before the Starblaster journey, of course, including, but not limited to his top surgery scars and the one below his eye from a science accident. But having your body stay the same for _one hundred years_ , flaws and all, was somewhat unsettling.

But now...

Barry scarred and it stuck. He discovered this the second time that he grew his body in a pod. He already had a large mark in the middle of his chest, from the spell that had blasted him off the Starblaster. But now there were claw marks across his stomach and down part of his thigh. They stayed as his body grew in the pod. It took Barry a shameful amount of time to realize that the marks were from the monster that had killed him.

And it made sense, too. If he collected blood from his fallen form, then his body would resemble how it looked when he died.

Barry was burned on the side of his stomach so bad that no healer could help. The scar reminded him of Lup, fiery and passionate. It reminded him of Taako, too, with the fact that he should probably stay away from situations like that.

Barry fell from a cliff and dashed himself on the rocks below. He was lucky that his body only retained the scar from where the impact had first hit, on his right arm.

Barry had a bad run-in with a dryad, who wrapped a thick vine around his arm and tugged him to his death. His body, in return, had a sickeningly detailed mark upon his left arm.

Barry (non-lich Barry, that is) didn’t exactly know what to make of the scars. In his living form, he couldn’t recall how he got them. As much as it freaked him out, some unknown part of him was comforted by it. This is how it should be, but why did that feel _weird_? Why were signs of life and aging and existence _weird_?

“It’s okay to be disturbed,” the coin would tell him with his own voice, laughing. “We lead a pretty disturbing life, bud, not gonna lie. But, uh, let’s just say these are battle scars of sorts. I know they look deadly but it’s nothing to be worried about. The moment’s past. Focus on the mission.”

The mission, it turns out, was a long and harrowing process. Ten years alone, after a hundred surrounded by family, was the worst kind of terrible possible. Can you even begin to imagine that? Imagine what it must feel like to _live_ , to _die_ , to _remember_ , to _repeat_ a dozen or so different times. But Barry was stubborn, if anything, and this proved that point more than anything he could think of.

Barry broke his leg terribly and bled to death. The scar on his leg was proof enough that he couldn’t stop now.

Barry was cut from his hip to his thigh by a marauder in his sleep and it was the bleeding out that got him again. He was lucky that he had more than one chance.

Barry was clawed to death by a creature hiding the darkness of a cavern. His body took its first breath again, months later, and he pressed on.

And when the fighting ended and the screams let out and the consistent stream of live, die, live, die, live, die faded away into memory, Barry let himself breathe. His wounds were treated by a medic. He passed out in the middle of the after-party, against a tree, and only woke up when Magnus was poking him awake to go back to the bureau for a proper rest.

He didn’t bother to change when they got there. Lup suggested it, but everyone was dead on their feet and fell asleep as soon as they all sat down. Barry roomed with Taako, who had his own years’ worth of scars, and Lup, who hovered nearby and glowed so brightly that it was hard to open his eyes.

The morning came with a sigh. Barry blinked the sleep from his eyes and saw Taako curled under a mass of blankets. And then… and then he saw Lup, again, still awake in her lich form. Their gazes met. Barry felt like crying.

Okay, yeah, Barry did cry.

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, trying not to wake Taako, furiously wiping the tears from his face. “Geez, it’s just- just a lot.”

“I know, babe,” Lup answered. Her hands buzzed over his flesh, not quite able to touch him, not quite close enough. Barry felt another tear slip down his face.

“Gods,” Barry breathed, grabbing for her hand. She phased through him, but carefully set her hand against his and tried not to move. “I missed you so much.”

“I know,” Lup repeated, voice cracking. “I know, Bar, me too.”

“I- I just-”

“Shh,” Lup tried. “I’m here, I’m here.”

Even with all the parts of Barry screaming _are you?_ he choked out a,

“I know. I love you.”

“I love you too,” Lup said. “So, so much. As soon as I get my body back, I’m gonna smooch the hell outta you.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” Barry said, wet laughter bubbling up his throat. “I have- there’s a pod that can get your body back.”

“Yeah,” Lup said. She leaned forward, head pressed against his. Her hand traced one of the scars on his arm. After a beat of silence, she murmured, “I wanna know all I missed, okay? I- I wanna help you and hold you and-”

“I’ll fill you in,” Barry promised. He ghosted his hand across hers, feeling the magic that fizzed in her lich form. “On- on everything. I’ve got a buncha weird scars now, babe, it’s crazy actually having a body that sticks.”

“Lemme see,” Lup said, smile in her voice. He felt her magic tug at the end of his shirt. “Come on, Bar, lemme see.”

“Silly,” Barry said, heart hammering with the want to kiss her. “It’s not much.”

“Wanna know if you look cooler than me now,” Lup said.

“Oh?” Barry said, laughing. He felt her tug at his shirt again and grinned. “Well, if that’s the reason-”

“ _Not while I’m in the room_ ,” Taako’s voice came from somewhere beneath the blankets. “Holy shit, I just beat the fucking apocalypse’s ass, give me a _second_ to get out of the way.”

Through the laughter and the cursing and the sun rising through the window, Barry couldn’t really think of a better place to end up. He traced the scar on his stomach through his shirt as Lup and Taako argued overhead.

_Fiery, passionate,_ he recalled.

“I’m not gonna let you bone down on Barry in this room!” Taako said, louder than the tone that the conversation had started with.

_Probably should stay away from situations like that,_ he remembered.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Go check out umbraastaff on Tumblr, they make good posts like the one that inspired this!!


End file.
